


Rescue

by HellionOfTheOutlaws22



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alfred Pennyworth is a Saint, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Animal Abuse, Animal Death, BAMF Selina Kyle, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne Has Feelings, Damian Wayne Has a Heart, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Damian Wayne is a Little Shit, Discord - Freeform, Family Bonding, Gen, Harm to Animals, Oblivious Bruce Wayne, Protective Damian Wayne, Protective Selina Kyle, Rescue, Social Media, Teamwork, rescue animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:19:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23736736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellionOfTheOutlaws22/pseuds/HellionOfTheOutlaws22
Summary: Damian is scrolling on Dick's phone when he comes across a group chat.
Relationships: Damian Wayne & Everyone, Selina Kyle & Damian Wayne
Comments: 3
Kudos: 259





	Rescue

Damian curled up on the couch with Alfred (the cat, obviously), scrolling idly through Grayson's social media.

He somehow wound up in a group chat on something called Discord.

As he was reading through the messages, he felt an increasing distress. 

> **Red Hood Today at 10:54 AM**  
>  Stone likes a total of 2 people  
>  **BadwolfGirl Today at 10:54 AM**  
>  let me guess... they both feed him  
>  **Red Hood Today at 10:54 AM**  
>  he has 5 people in his house  
>  yes  
>  **Red Hood Today at 10:55 AM**  
>  Stone was a rescue kitty though so I don't blame him  
>  **amygdala Today at 10:55 AM**  
>  oh that’s fair  
>  **Red Hood Today at 10:56 AM**  
>  My aunt said his mom abandoned him and he was found buried in snow  
>  **amygdala Today at 10:56 AM**  
>  i’m Tough so i don’t cry when i hear stories of rescue animals but let me tell you, it does come close  
>  **BadwolfGirl Today at 10:56 AM**  
>  poor baby  
>  we got mine from the pound. it was adorable. She was a tiny thing (all wierdly proportioned limbs at the time. and they had her in with this giant great dane... Like Titus giant.  
>  We felt oddly guilty for separating them.  
>  **Red Hood Today at 10:58 AM**  
>  Aww  
>  **BadwolfGirl Today at 10:58 AM**  
>  but we definitely didn't have room for a dane.  
>  **amygdala Today at 10:58 AM**  
>  i can’t wait until i’m legally allowed to take in rescue animals  
>  **Red Hood Today at 10:59 AM**  
>  I had a rescue dog years ago (he passed away) and it was hard to see what people do to them  
>  **amygdala Today at 10:59 AM**  
>  some people are literal trash bags that don’t deserve animals  
>  **BadwolfGirl Today at 11:00 AM**  
>  Poppy was only 6 months when we got her. But whatever they did she very rarely barks, sometimes if she get's really riled up playing she'll do it once and spook herself  
>  **Red Hood Today at 11:01 AM**  
>  Aw baby (that's an adorable name btw)  
>  **BadwolfGirl Today at 11:01 AM**  
>  she's my precious. I love her so much  
>  **amygdala Today at 11:01 AM**  
>  she’s amazing  
>  i would also die for her

Damian put the phone down. He ran his fingers through Alfred's fur and bit his bottom lip.

He whistled for Titus, who loped into the room.

"We're going for a walk." He declared, getting up and finding his jacket and Titus' leash.

Titus sat and let Damian hook his leash on, then followed him out of the manor. He found himself taking Titus to Selina Kyle's apartment and knocking on the door.

Kyle answered, looking surprised to see Damian there.

"I want to start an animal shelter." Damian blurted out.

Selina looked even more surprised at that. "Well hello to you too, Damian." She said. He felt blood rush to his cheeks.

"What brought this on?" She leaned against the door, crossing her arms.

He shrugged. "I want to open a shelter." He repeated. "You are the best person to assist me."

She raised an amused eyebrow. "You and the big guy might want to come in and sit down."

She let them into the apartment and Damian found a seat at the table with Titus beside him. He softened, seeing Selina's latest litter of kittens trying to walk around their mother.

"What would this shelter be like?" Selina sat across from him. It looked quite like a business meeting.

He pulled out his own phone and opened a interior design app. "We would have to build it from scratch." he began, drawing out shapes on the screen. She watched intently.

"We take in all the strays, whether they be cats, dogs, injured wildlife." He showed her the layout he'd quickly created. "An infirmary, a room for the felines, and one for the canines. A room with several basins to bathe them, a grooming studio, and front room for adoptions. We'd be running everything, but I believe my siblings could be convinced to assist us. Todd would sort adoption applications, because we will only accept the best for the animals." he paused, taking a breath.

Selina looked interested, following his every word.

"Grayson, Brown and Cassandra will be in the grooming studio. Cassandra can keep Grayson and Brown in line." He decided. "Gordon and Drake can handle finances, which I will provide. We'd have to hire a veterinarian, but until then, Pennyworth and Todd could hold their own."

Selina nodded in agreement. "We could build separation walls instead of cages." She offered. "Miniature bedrooms for each animal."

Damian nodded. "There would be a run for them too." he added.

"Exercise and possibly therapy for them." Selina mused. "Some people are just plain cruel to their pets." She shook her head. "Is that what brought this on?"

He found himself blushing again. "They don't deserve to be treated so harshly. They deserve better. To be shown the same love, loyalty and care that they show us." He insisted.

She smiled. "Agreed."

* * *

Everyone was more than happy to help out with building the shelter.

Only Bruce was unaware of what his children were doing, even after they enlisted the Kents, Roy Harper, Wally West and Diana Prince to help with the build.

Commissioner Gordon came out a few times to watch the group, standing to the side with Barbara and Alfred, who were holding onto several leashes, since Dog, Krypto, Titus and Isis had refused to be left out.

"It looks good." Gordon commented.

"Indeed." Alfred beamed proudly, petting Dog's head almost subconsciously. 

Damian and Jon finally sat down as the sun was setting, eating sandwiches that Alfred had brought and sipping on fresh lemonade. "This is awesome." Jon sighed, taking in their hard work.

Damian hummed in agreement. "Do you think they will like it?" He asked nervously.

"I think they'll love it." Jon assured him. "This is brilliant." Damian grinned.

"Alright kiddos. Time to head back to the manor. We'll keep going in the morning." Jason appeared behind them.

"What if something happens?" Damian protested worriedly.

"I'm going to stay here tonight with Timmy, Connor and Roy. Nothing's going to happen to it." Jason promised, and Damian believed him. 

* * *

A month later, Damian and Selina dragged Bruce out to see the shelter, up and running in all it's glory.

"This is what you've all been doing?" Bruce said, shocked and yet pleased. He'd wondered what everyone was hiding from him.

"It was Damian's idea." Selina smiled proudly at the boy. He found himself grinning back at her, having developed a good relationship with the other animal lover.

"Come meet them!" Damian grabbed Bruce's hand and led him inside, where they were greeted by Jason and Tim, sitting on the floor in the front room with two mixed-breed pups.

Bruce grinned at the sight. Tim fell back, laughing as his favourite pup licked every inch of his face. "Hey B!" Jason chirped, barely looking up from the pup in his lap.

"Those two were found in Todd's apartment." Damian explained. "They were very cautious at first, but Drake and Todd have done well with them." Bruce was filled with even more pride.

Damian took him into the next room, where Steph was blow drying a three-legged female boxer and Cass was brushing a persian cat with only one eye. They both looked up and waved, before returning to their tasks.

In the next room, they found Dick and Alfred giving a tabby an ultrasound. "Hi Bruce." Dick smiled slightly in greeting.

"How is she?" Damian asked worriedly.

"She's not as bad as we feared." Alfred assured the boy. "Four kittens, and the face wounds and blisters will, thankfully, heal without scarring."

Damian sighed in relief.

"Herc isn't doing so well." Dick informed Damian, his voice soft and somber.

Bruce watched the blood drain from Damian's face and hesitantly followed his youngest into the back room, which he guessed was for the worst cases.

Damian unlocked a door in the middle. Bruce noticed that instead of cages, partial, pastel colored walls made up miniature bedrooms for each animal.

Damian knelt down, his green eyes sad and scared as he held out his hand to a handsome rottweiler, big, soulful, sad brown eyes staring up at them. Bruce saw how thin the big dog was, and his heart broke when he saw the scars and stitches all over the pup's body.

"He's not going to make it." Damian whispered.

Bruce crouched down and put his arm around his son. "You've done so much for him, Damian." He soothed. "I'm so proud of you."

Damian sniffled, and "Herc" whined softly. Bruce pulled his youngest into a hug, rubbing his back as he started crying. 

* * *

Bruce and Damian took Herc home that night.

Titus was like a mother with her pup, settling the other dog into his bed and snuggling with him. Bruce and Damian sat with them, watching Titus groom Herc carefully, and watching the injured dog grow weaker and weaker with each time they offered him some water.

Damian stubbornly stayed awake until Herc fell asleep, and he started crying again when the poor dog stopped breathing.

Bruce, Dick, Jason and Damian buried the rottweiler in the backyard, with a headstone that Jason had made overnight.

"We can't rescue all of them in time." Damian said at last, his voice hoarse and tired. "But we can try."

Jason and Dick nodded firmly in agreement.

"And we will." Bruce promised. 


End file.
